22.3 The indefinite article ‘ein’ is declined as follows:
Although the indefinite article has no plural form, the negative form kein ‘no’, ‘not
any’, does:
Nom. keine Acc. keine Dat. keinen Gen. keiner
Below is the same table with boxes drawn to highlight the important patterns. Note
the difference between this table and the table in 22.2: the indefinite article carries no
ending in the masculine and neuter nominative and the neuter accusative:
See also 13.4 (p. 19), 24.2 (p. 43), 30.3 (p. 55) and^45 (p. 120).
23 Use of the articles
German and English use articles in similar ways. Note, however, the following
exceptions:
23.1 No article is used in German:
(a) With instruments
Er spielt Gitarre.
He plays the guitar (i.e. any guitar).
For relevant functions see 74.5a (p. 234).
(b) With professions, religions and nationalities following the verbs sein, werden and
bleiben unless an adjective is inserted:
Sie ist Ingenieurin.
She’s an engineer.
Er ist Katholik.
He’s a Catholic.
Masculine Neuter Feminine
Nominative ein ein eine
Accusative einen ein eine
Dative einem einem einer
Genitive eines eines einer
Singular Plural
Masculine Neuter Feminine All genders
Nominative (k)ein (k)ein (k)eine keine
Accusative (k)einen (k)ein (k)eine keine
Dative (k)einem (k)einem (k)einer keinen
Genitive (k)eines (k)eines (k)einer keiner
23
Use of the articles